Did our girl's career decline in the mid-30s? |
I scoured Variety from November 1934 to December 1935, and this is what I came up with.
Variety, Dec 4, 1934 |
The litigation, of course, concerned a divorce that Nattova had pursued against her husband, Nicholas Daks. I noticed that, during this period, the Variety writers made a point of ribbing Mr. Daks about his muscular legs and his love of (or, anyway, being attired in), um, tight pants. Not sure what that's about. Was his profile raised by that messy business about adultery and such at the end of 1934? How was it perceived by the entertainment (or vaudevillian, or dancer) community? Was Nattova viewed as having attempted a shakedown of that dancer (the alleged adulteress) and her rich director husband?
I could find nothing about Nattova and Daks from January through February, 1935.
Ah, yes. Daks and his tight pants again.
Curiously, in the same show (at the Music Hall, Daks' place of work), we find Nattova with (new?) partners Allen Noyes and Victor Ladd, again with "an adagio trio"—complete with the usual Natacha-tossing.
The 1940 census lists a “Victor Ladd,” age about 33 (b. 1907), living on West 56th Street with his wife, Ruth. Born in France (Nattova considered herself to be French), he indicates that he is an actor, as does his wife.
I could find virtually nothing about Mr. Noyes. An "Allen Noyes" was born in New Hampshire in 1906. Is that our guy? Dunno. Was he related to the famous American dancer, Florence Fleming Noyes (1871-1928)? Dunno.
Variety, May 8, 1935 |
I need to find photos.
Variety, Sept 25, 1935 |
Variety, Sept 25, 1935 |
Variety, Oct 2 1935 |
But what's become of our girl?
Elsewhere, I found this:
Superb Floor Show Featuring Natacha Nattova and Hank the Mule Nightly
The Scranton RepublicanScranton, PennsylvaniaThursday, November 7, 1935 Page 3
Scranton Republican, Nov 7 1935 |
I found nothing about Nattova in Variety for the whole year of 1936. (Daks got a few mentions; he seems to have maintained good standing in the dance community, increasingly as a assistant manager or assistant director, for a great many years.) I should mention that I could find nothing about Nattova (in Variety) in the first half of 1937 either (I looked no further). It is possible, of course, that she was active in France or elsewhere during some or all of this period. I seem less successful finding data about Nattova insofar as she was a resident or visitor of France.
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